Capricorn
I had limited visits due to transportation difficulties. Back then I didn't drive, nor could I afford a car. The only transportation I had was the City Limo service (bus). It felt as though no one listened to me; I had to bend over backwards for the Ministry in order to get my kids back or have access to them. Only a couple social workers understood where I came from and treated me as a person rather than a mishap. It seemed to me many of them stereotyped me because I am First Nations and from the "streets" of Vancouver. It was disturbing to have to bring my parents into the situation to get things done. My parents were from a good neighborhood, Upper Lonsdale, in North Vancouver, and they were white.
However, two of the social workers who I dealt with had to pick me up from the hospital after the beatings I received from my ex-husband. I was unrecognizable, my face was so beaten black and blue, my eyes almost shut closed and my jaw was almost broken. He had me working the streets to feed my kids and support drug habits. Eventually I cleaned up to try and get back the only thing I cared about - my kids.
While my kids were in care at Xyolhemeylh, for the next five or six years, I kept wondering why they weren't getting proper education. They all ended up in special classes for delinquents. They never had homework, let alone had to show up for classes. Bottom line is, the school was a joke. It was more or less a babysitting class so that the Ministry would know where they were.
I learned from my kids that the foster homes they were in were only after the money.
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Comments
your story about how the
By voraciousreader, March 15, 2007 at 15:39your story about how the ministry had failed your kids makes me wonder if you have been married and having a good life why were your kids still in care? If you had such a great ending why did your children not benefit from it as well. I am also at a loss at how going to parenting classes especially if they have no "life skills" as you state when you are a 17 year old parent is a bad thing. Yes the ministry is flawed but if you had changed your life why were you not more involved as a parent? The ministry will never be perfect for it is not a parent and yes huge improvements can be made but as a parent of children in care it is also your responsibility to get them out as soon as you can.
My story is not just about
By Pauline Van Koll, March 15, 2007 at 16:39My story is not just about my kids if you've read the whole story. And my daughter chose to be in care for money reasons which is her business and she's now learning that money isn't everything. Family sticks together. Furthermore, if you've followed the stories about Xyolhemeylh it's not the first time they've messed up. They have been under investigation for many moons now. It's not just about what they deprived my kids of, it's many other kids if you've read the whole story. I mentioned the baby who was put into it's uncles care when the uncle was a very abusive man and the baby was killed. I mentioned baby Chassidy who was in the hands of her 19 year old daddy, she was killed and these 2 cases were in the hands of Xyolhemeylh. As I've said in my story, I had to take care of myself before I could take care of my kids and I've done that and we're a happy family. My story stated that my daughter's been bending over backwards for Xyolhemeylh in order to keep her daughter, I never said that was bad, but it's not just one class she has to attend it's several classes and she's doing everything she has to and yet that's not good enough for them. Furthermore, she wants to come back to live close to us and they won't permit it when they say they like to keep families together. That's double standards if you ask me.
Re: Xyolhemeylh Is Failing First Nations Youth
By mommy, August 27, 2008 at 13:47Pauline. I would love to know you. You are an inspiration. Thank you for being strong and bold. I have heard and experienced so many incidents of abuse by Xyolhemeylh and MCFD. It is astounding. So many young people and parents take their own lives because they can't bear the pain of being separated and the lies!!! The lies blow my mind. I would never have imagined what I have seen, heard and experienced. I said in an email once, "My husband will be mad at me for this because this is his department but here is some info," to the social worker. No different than "My husband's going to kill me, I just bought a new pair of shoes." This somehow turned into a "report of violence." There has NEVER been any violence or threat of violence in our home. We don't drink, do drugs, gamble or even smoke. We are so clean we squeak. They hate us because we speak up for rights of children and they took our foster daughter. I am so sick to my stomache over this. I keep hearing more and more stories. For some reason the stories are not yet out in the public as loud as they need to be. I trust it will happen though. Either they start cleaning up now or they will have to start cleaning up when it gets really ugly. People are ready to blow. A lot of people.